Embrace technology for greater visibility of your contingent workforce
In a global economy that has faced a lot of disruption over the last few years, it's more important than ever for companies to be adaptable when it comes to resourcing. That's why so many are turning to contingent staff to help them manage demand more flexibly.
This brings its own challenges. Hiring contingent staff requires clear data - especially when managing large companies or projects where things can change quickly. Without workforce visibility, you can face issues with finances, compliance, and staff retention into short and long term.
By using Vendor Management Systems (VMS) and working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP), you gain the insight you need to make better decisions in key areas.
Gain full visibility of contingent staff
Do you know how many contingent staff you have contracted at any given time? How many are onsite or how long their contracts run for? For many companies, it's possible to track down the answer but it won't be quick or easy, with information fragmented across different departments and systems.
By using a VMS, you create a one-stop shop for managing every part of the staffing process - every recruitment supplier, every hire, and every bit of the associated admin goes into one easy-to-use system. This is 100% end-to-end - guiding you through everything from first contact to timesheets and offboarding documentation. The process runs on rails, so nothing gets lost or overlooked.
Not only does a VMS help you manage the process, but it also gives you a better understanding of your workforce through data analysis. Quickly find the information you need and segment the data in any way you need to help you make smarter resourcing decisions - for current and incoming contracts.
Not sure how to go about setting up such a system? Don't worry. Even if your current system is manual and has no single source of truth, we can help gather all the relevant information and feed it into your new VMS provider.
Keep track of your rates
When you're hiring contingent staff across different teams, sometimes with niche skills, you can end up paying many different rates. With no system in place, you could have multiple people doing the same job while on different rates - likely representing bad value for the company. Worst of all, if you don't have a VMS in place then you could be in this situation for a long time without realising the extent of the situation.
It's not just about your own value either. If the rates you're paying are not in line with the industry, you could struggle to keep staff - especially if there are more lucrative contracts available elsewhere. It's crucial you understand how competitive your contracts are in relation to the wider market, and make sure there is equity across your staff.
Working with an MSP also helps create greater standardisation across rates, even if you can never have complete uniformity. When we approve suppliers to feed into the system, they agree to our defined rates and conditions, meaning everything is much easier for you to manage.
Smooth approvals, swift recruits
Make complex chains a thing of the past. With a VMS, you can easily add requests for new resources to the system and it's configured to go to all the right people straight away - with a notification to let them know there's a request waiting for approval.
And with an MSP, you can be assured that you'll find the right people for the role without any agonising searches or being overwhelmed by unqualified applicants.
You go from spotting a gap in resource to hiring a new team member much quicker - saving valuable time and money for your business.
Assured compliance
Keeping track of compliance can be a challenge, especially if you're hiring across multiple projects and regions or for different skillsets. For many companies this becomes something of an admin headache, often taking up valuable time that could be better spent doing what you do best.
The VMS can flag everything you need to have signed off, such as pre-hire screening or safety certifications, and automatically alert you if any action is required - so you don't miss a thing. This is not only a great timesaver for your team, but genuine peace of mind for your contractors too.
Combine the power of VMS and MSP
For full visibility and control, working with an MSP and a VMS is the best way forward. It allows you to handle the full recruitment and resource management workload in one smooth process, joined up from beginning to end.
As MSP, we can help you find the ideal VMS partner and then work with you to configure and implement the system correctly - making sure it meets all your needs and simplifies your processes. We'll then find the right candidates at the correct rate and you can move them through the system in no time - helping make your projects a success.
Talk to us about getting better visibility of your contingent workforce.